Furniture



yum H5 19361 F. A. HAYDEN 2,044,166

' FURNITURE Filed sept. 21, 1934 2 sheets-Sheet 1 lml dfi"

WITNESSES June 16, 1936 F. A. HAYDEN 2,044,166

FURNITURE Filed Sept. 2l, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u 8 A H 5 w Y WIW, HIIqulr y @fm/ Patented June 16, 1936 A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13Claims.

This invention relates to furniture construction; particularly to thatclass of furniture familiarly known to those skilled in the art, as casegoods furniture, such as bureaus, chests, buffets, desks,.cabinets, andthe like.

As is well known to those skilled in the art of furniture manufacture,conventional case goods furniture has been constructed prior to thisinvention, of the usual rigid exposed frame structure supportingindividual drawers inserted therein, and usually comprises exposedvertical corner frame elements supporting the usual side panels, backpanel, and the like; forming in such conventional case goodsconstruction, a rigid exposed frame inclosing individual drawers. Thesedrawers however, provided with the usual side members and back member,etc., after insertion within their supporting frame structure, combinetherewith to form double sides, and back construction; that is, thesides of the drawers form a side of the case, and the side panels of theframe form an additional side covering these drawer sides, likewise theback of the drawers form a back of the case, and the back panel of theframe forms an additional back to cover the back of the drawers;requiring by conventional methods of construction, double the. amount ofmaterial at the back and sides of such case goods construction thereby.If a new method of frame and drawer construction for case goodsfurniture could be so devised as to eliminate this double construction,and yet fulfill all practical requirements of conventional furniture;such a construction would be directly contrary to conventional methodsof case goods construction, would offer distinct benefit to that art,and would contribute substantially to the economical manufacture of suchcase goods furniture thereby.

Additionally, considering the conventional methods of case goodsconstruction, it is readily apparent that the design possibilities ofsuch furniture is limited, with respect to the exposed vertical frameelements, forming a part of the exterior design, as to require thedesign to be conceived with that limitation initially established.

An important feature of the invention is to devise a novel method ofcase goods furniture construction that will require a materially reducedamount of material for its construction, by eliminating the usual doubleside and back construction commonly found in conventional case goodsfurniture; materially reducing the ultimate cost of manufacturing suchfurniture thereby.

Another feature of the invention is to devise a case goods furnitureconstruction offering substantiaily reduced weight comparatively withrespect to similar conventional furniture of like dimensions,facilitating the handling thereof, and affording more economicalshipment thereby.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a. practical case goodsfurniture construction with concealed frame elements, for the purpose ofeliminating any limitations governing the design possibilities thereof.

An additional feature of the invention is to provide case goodsfurniture with inseparable drawer construction, to prevent thepossibility of the drawers becoming displaced from the frame structureand upsetting their contents thereby.

Another feature comprises the provision of a practical case goodsfurniture construction that is dust proof, has a limited drawermovement, of comparative light weight, and offers a rigid concealedframe structure for the support of the drawers.

Additional features of the invention are to pro- Vide case goodsfurniture with novel drawer construction, so arranged and devised as toform the exterior front panel, exterior side panels, and the exteriorrear panel of the case goods structure itself.

Other novel features of the invention will become apparent from thedetailed description hereinafter given, which is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application. It is to beclearly understood however that the case goods furniture constructionshown and described constitutes but one embodiment of my invention vorinventions, and is not to be taken as definite or for any other purposethan that of illustration. It is obvious that my invention and itsvarious features may be embodied in various forms and constructions, andmy invention is lto be understood as limited only to such features andconstructions as are clearly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings similar reference characters refer to similar parts inall of the views of which:

Figure l is a front view of the invention which is the subject matter ofthis application, and hereinafter referred to as a chest, with afragmentary portion of the front face removed to illustrate the internalconstruction and assembly thereof.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure l,with a fragmentary portion of the center drawer removed to clarify theillustration.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the chest with a fragmentary portion of theback face removed to illustrate the relationship of the various parts.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,illustrating the center drawer in partial extended position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line 5 5 ofFigure 2, illustrating the relationship of the vertical frame elementand its adjacent parts.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that the chest comprises-the two front vertical frame elements or corner posts I0 and the tworear vertical frame elements or corner posts II, each disposedvertically and secured at the bottoms longitudinally by the front framemember I2 and the rear frame member I3 respectively, and at the toplongitudinally by the front'frame member I5 and the rear frame member I5respectively, with the bottom side frame members I4 and the top sideframe members I1 seeming these vertical frame elements I0 and II and thelongitudinal frame members I2, I3, I5, and I6 laterally; the juncturesof these respective vertical, longitudinal, and lateral frame elementssecured in a rigid manner by the usual conventional fastening means,such as joinery, glue, and the like, to form in assembled relation arigid frame structure. This frame structure is supported by the fourattachable pedestal legs I9, which may be of any selected design, andmay be dowelled into the juncture of the bottom frame elements, orsecured by other equally adaptable fastening means as required,permitting by this method of construction, substitution of variousalternate designs that may be required. The top of the frame structureis inclosed and stiifened so as to resist any torsional strains, by thechest top I8, secured thereon in the usual conventional manner by glueblocks, screw securing means or the like, and has a cover molding 20carried around the front and sides and the chest on the top framemembers I5 and I1 to inclose these members in a finished workmanlikemanner. Likewise the cover molding 2| is carried around the front andsides of the chest on the bottom frame members I2 and I4 to inclosethese members in a similar fashion. These cover moldings 20 and 2l,secured by the usual conventional fastening means to their respectivesupporting frame elements, are for the purpose of forming a finishedface plate thereto, and to enhance the design of the chest itself.Within the frame structure are inserted the grooved drawer guides 36 forthe top drawer, the grooved drawer guides 46 for the center drawer, andthe grooved drawer guides 56 for the bottom drawer, each secured in arigid manner at their forward ends to the inside faces of the frontframe elements I0, and at their rearward ends to the inside faces of therear frame elements I I by the usual conventional fastening means, suchas joinery, glue, and the like. The inside faces of the drawer guides36, 46, and 56 are rabbeted to receive the dust shields 31, 41, and 51respectively, likewise the inside faces of the front drawer rails 38,48, and

458 at the front of the chest, and the inside faces of the rear drawerrails 39, 49, and 59 at the rear of the chest are similarly rabbeted toengage therewith, for supporting and securing the dust shields 31, 41,and 51 in their proper positions relatively with respect to theirrespective drawer guides 36, 46, and 56, thus completing in assembledrelation the various respective elements comprising the rigid framestructure of the chest in the preferred form of the invention described.

Supported upon this rigid frame structure are the irremovable top,center, and bottom drawers of the chest, which comprise the drawerfronts 30, 40, and 50 respectively, each provided with the usualfurniture hardware, such as drawer pulls, drawer locks or catches, andthe like, and the sides of the drawers, formed by the drawer sides 3|,4I, and 5I respectively, each rigidly secured to its respective drawerfront 30, 4U, and 53 by the usual tongue and groove, or dovetailedjoinery, dowelled joinery, glue and the like, or other conventionalfastening means as required, and which are provided of suicient lengthto extend rearwardly from the drawer fronts to the rear faces of thevertical frame elements II, so as to conceal these frame elements IIthereby` Within the drawer fronts 30, 4I), and 50, a pair of drawerrunners 33, 43, and 53 are positioned, which are secured to the fronts30, 46, and 5U at each side of their respective drawer sides 3I, 20

4I, and 5I and so disposed as to leave an open slot or space between theouter sides of the runs 33, 43, and 53 and the inner sides of the drawersides 3|, 4I, and 5I sufcient to permit unobstructed movement of thevertical frame elements I0 therein, as illustrated in Figure 2 of thedrawings. The inside faces of the drawer runners 33, 43, and 53 and theinside faces of the drawer fronts 39, 40, and 5l] are rabbeted toreceive the drawer bottoms 34, 44, and 54 respectively, which aresecurely fastened therein by conventional securing means, such as glueor the like. Likewise the drawer shields 35, 45, and 55 are insertedinto rabbets provided on the top faces of their respective drawerrunners 33, 43, and 53, and in similar vertical rabbets provided 'on theinside faces of their respective drawer fronts 36, 4D, and 50, andsecured thereto in a similar manner. The drawer backs 32, 42, and 52 areprovided with the necessary slots, grooves and the like, for receivingthe rear ends of their respective drawer runners 33, 43, and 53,fastened thereto by the usual conventional joinery and securing means,and in addition, these drawer backs are mortised into the inside facesof their respective drawer sides 3|, 4I, and 5I. Likewise these drawerbacks 32, 42, and 52 are provided with grooves rabbeted into theirinside faces for receiving the rear ends of their respective drawerbottoms 34, 44, and 54, which are secured thereto in the usual manner,also provided with vertical grooves rabbeted on the inside face thereoffor receiving the rear ends of the drawer shields 35, 45, and 55,completing in assembled relation, the various elements of the top,center, and bottom drawers, and permitting limited slidable movementlaterally thereofon their respective drawer guides 36, 46, and 56contained within the supporting frame structure.

It will be noticed that the top surface of the top drawer back 32slidably contacts with the bottom surfaces of the lateral frame elementsI1 to hold the top drawer in horizontal alignment irrespecbacks 32, 42,and 52 of the top, center, and bottom drawers respectively, whenextended to the limit of their horizontal movement, engage with thefront vertical frame elements I0 to arrest further extended movement oftheir respective drawers, and thereby prevent removal thereof from theframe structure. Likewise the rear vertical frame elements engage withthe drawer backs 32, 42, and 52 to arrest inward movement thereof, andthereby position their respective drawers in correct alignment when in aclosed position.

It will be seen that the drawer fronts 3D, 40, and 50 co-operate to formthe front of the chest, the drawer sides 3|, 4|, and 5| at each sidecooperate to form the two sides of the chest, and the drawer backs 32,42, and 52 together with the rear vertical frame elements and the drawerrails 39 and 49 co-operate to form the rear of the chest, eliminatingbythis method of construction, a considerable amount of materialcomparatively.

Although the preferred form of the invention illustrated and describedis provided with the cover mouldings 253 and 2| carried around the frontand side faces of the chest, it is obvious to those skiiled in the art;that they may both be eliminated and the top drawer front 30 togetherwith its drawer sides 3| may extend upward to the underside of the chesttop I8 in substitution for the cover moulding 2|), likewise. the bottomdrawer front 5G together with its drawer sides 5| may extend downward tothe pedestal legs I9 in substitution for the cover moulding 2|, if achest or othercase goods furniture of this character is desired.

It will be seen that the top rail 22 and the bottom rail 23 at the backof the chest serve as nish plates to cover the frame elements l5 and |3,but it is readily apparent that these plates 22 and 23 may be omitted,and the frame elements i6 and I3 substituted therefor by suitablefinishing operations as required. AlsoV the projecting lips provided onthe rails 22, 39, 49, and 23 are for the express purpose of preventingdust accumulations entering the respective drawers adjacent thereto, andmay comprise any form desired for that particular purpose.

The assembly of case goods furniture in the form of the inventiondescribed requires the assembly and securement of the complete frame inthe usual assembly mold, or similar conventional procedure, but howeverrequires the partial assembly of the drawers separately, with dummybacks substituted for the actual backs until the drawer elements withthe exception of their actual backs, are secured in the required manner,whereupon these dummy backs are removed and the drawers are inserted intheir respective positions, but partially extended upon the drawerguides within the completed frame structure. The actual drawer backs arethen inserted within the frame in their respective positions, and thedrawer sides are sprung outwardly sufficient to allow the actual backsto be inserted therein, and correctly positioned and secured thereto inthe usual manner. The chest is then in a completely assembled conditioncomprising a single unit and thereby facilitates materially theexpedient application of any 0f the various conventional finishingoperations required for the mass production of such furniture.

It is evident that the corner arrangement at vertical frame elements l0illustrated and described in the preferred form of the inventionanticipates but one mode of construction thereof, but it is readilyapparent to those skilled in the art that various modications of thecorner construction shown may be utilized to secure alternate designmotifs for the particular furniture design required; for example thefront vertical frame elements may comprise'members quarter round insection and the drawer fronts together with their respective drawersides may join to form round corners outwardly adjacent to the modifiedfront vertical frame elements, and the usual veneers may be applied tothese drawer fronts and sides to form a continuous wood finish treatmentcarried completely around the sides and the front of the chest itself.Likewise the front vertical frame elements may comprise members providedwith chamfered corners in section, and the drawer fronts, together withtheir respective drawer sides mayy join to form chamfered cornersoutwardly adjacent to these modified front vertical frame ble to otherforms of furniture manufacture; such as a combination of wood and metalcase goods furniture construction, or an all metal case goods furnitureconstruction; for example, the vertical frame elements IB and and thehorizontal frame elements i2, I3, I5, and IS, and the lateral l;

frame elements I4 and l1 may all comprise sheet metal, or tubular metalframe elements shaped to the required form and secured at theirrespective junctures byconventional spot welding means, plate,connectionmeans, angle and rivet means, or other equally adaptable securing means,to form in assembled relation, a rigid frame structure, and the balanceof portions forming the invention may comprise wood elementssubstantially as disclosed in the preferred form of the inventiondescribed. Likewise the drawer fronts 30, 40, and 50,. the drawer sides3|, 4| and 5|, the chest top I8 together with the mouldings 2U, 2|, andthe rails 22, 23, may all, or any portion thereof comprise sheet metalconstruction t' shaped to the required forms, or the chest in itsentirety may comprise sheet metal and angle frame construction of therequired form, or sheet metal construction exclusively, or other equallyadaptable materials may be employed performing like functions andeffecting similar results as those of the initial form of the inventionillustrated andV described, in a'manner that will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art, without necessitating a detailed descriptionthereof.

The usual mirror frame supporting a glass mirror and supported by theusual conventional mirror posts, securing means and the like, may beapplied directly to the back of the chest, and secured in a rigid mannerthereto, to form an integral part of the chest; or amirror, if requiredin the preferred form of the invention illustrated and described, maycomprise an individual unit complete in itself, and of independentsupport relatively with respect to its companion chest; or

other equally adaptable mirror frames and methods of supports may beutilized in a manner that will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, without necessitating a detailed description thereof.

The term concealed frame elements, or concealed vertical frame elements,as used in thisspecification, will be understood to mean the frameelements that are concealed from view in a room, when the chestcomprising one embodiment of the invention is placed in its naturalposition therein, that is, with its back positioned adjacent to one wallthereof.

Tne term exposed frame structure, as described in this specication withreference to conventional case goods will be understood to mean theportions of the frame structure, rather they be corner posts, sidepanels and the like, or any adaptation thereof that supports suchfurniture, and which are exposed to view in a room, when such furnitureis placed in its natural position therein.

As there are numerous variations and modications of the inventiondescribed, it is understood that the description given, is of thepreferred form of the invention, I therefore do not wish to be limitedto the construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims:

What is claimed is:

1. Case goods furniture co-mprising a skeleton frame having a closedtop, drawer elements, means slidably supporting said drawer elements insaid frame, said drawer elements having front and side vertical facesoutwardly covering the front and sides of said frame and rear verticalfaces arranged in front of the rear of said frame.

2. Case goods furniture comprising a skeleton frame having a closed topwith corner posts connecting the top and bottom members of said frame, aseries of drawers, means slidably securing said drawers in said frame,each drawer having front and side vertical faces outwardly disposedrelative to the front and sides of the front corner posts of said frameand a rear vertical face inwardly disposed relative to the rear cornerposts of said frame.

3. Case goods furniture comprising a skeleton frame having a closed topwith corner posts connecting the top and bottom members of said frame, aseries of drawers, means slidably supporting said drawers in said frame,said drawers having front and side vertical faces outwardly disposedrelative to the front and sides of the front corner posts of said frame,rear vertical faces inwardly disposed relative to the rear corner postsof said frame, and bottom walls having their ends spaced from the sidevertical faces cf said drawers to provide slots to accommodate the frontcorner posts of said frame whereby said drawers are capable of limitedoutward movement relatively with respect to said frame.

4. A drawer for case goods furniture comprising front, side and rearvertical panels secured in assembled relation, drawer runners for saiddrawer secured to said front and rear Vertical panels and spacedinwardly relative to said side vertical panels whereby there are spacesintermediate said drawer runners and side vertical panels, and ahorizontal panel secured to said front and rear vertical panels and saiddrawer runners.

5. A drawer for case goods furniture comprising front, side and rearvertical panels secured in assembled relation, drawer runners secured tosaid front and rear vertical panels and spaced inwardly relative to saidside vertical panels whereby there are slots intermediate said drawerrunners and side vertical panels, a horizontal panel secured to saidfront and rear vertical panels and said drawer runners, and meansvertically disposed and secured to said front and rear vertical panelsand drawer runners for inwardly shielding said slots.

6. Case goods furniture comprising a case top and a skeleton framestructure having a base with corner posts connecting said base to saidcase top, moldings secured to the outer edges of the top and bottommembers of said frame structure, a series of drawers, means slidablysupporting said drawers in said frame structure. said drawers havingfront and side vertical faces outwar-dly disposed relative to the frontand sides of the front corner posts and rear vertical faces i disposedintermediate the top and base, a series of drawers slidably supported onsaid drawer guides, said drawers having front and side vertical facesoutwardly disposed relative to the front and sides of the front cornerposts and rear vertical faces inwardly disposed relative to the rearcorner posts, said drawers having bottoms with slots provided in saidbottoms, said slots receiving said front corner posts whereby saiddrawers are capable of limited outward movement relatively with respectto said frame structure.

8. Case goods furniture comprising a skeleton frame having spaced topand bottom longitudinal and lateral frame members with vertical cornermembers connecting the same, a case top secured to said frame, drawerelements, Xed drawer guides secured to said frame and slidablysupporting said drawer elements, said drawer elements having front andside vertical faces outwardly disposed adjacent the front and sides ofthe front corner members and rear vertical faces inwardly disposedadjacent the rear corner members, said drawer elements having bottomswith slots provided in said bottoms, said slots receiving the frontcorner members.

9. Case goods furniture comprising a skeleton frame having spaced topand bottom longitudinal and lateral frame members with vertical cornermembers connecting the same, a case top secured to said frame, drawerelements, means slidably supporting said drawer elements in said frame,said drawer elements having front and side vertical faces outwardlydisposed adjacent the front and sides of said frame and rear verticalfaces inwardly disposed adjacent the rear of said frame, said drawerelements having bottoms provided with slots, said slots receiving thefront corner members, and means for inwardly shielding said slots.

l0. Case goods furniture comprising a skeleton frame having spaced topand bottom longitudinal and lateral frame members with vertical cornermembers connecting the same, a. case top secured to said frame, drawerguides including drawer rails secured to said frame intermediate saidtop and bottom longitudinal and lateral frame members, dust panelssecured to said guides and rails, a series of drawers having front andside Vertical faces outwardly disposed adjacent the front and sides ofsaid frame and rear vertical faces inwardly disposed adjacent the rearof said frame, said drawers having drawer runners supported on saidguides and secured to said front and rear vertical panels, said runnersspaced inwardly relative to said side vertical panels whereby there arespaces intermediate said drawer runners and side vertical panels, saidspaces receiving the front vertical corner members of said skeletonframe.

1l. Case goods furniture comprising a skeleton frame having spaced topand bottom longitudinal and lateral frame members with vertical cornermembers connecting the same,` a case top secured to said frame, moldingssecured to the outer edges of the top and bottom longitudinal andlateral frame members, drawer guides including drawer rails horizontallysecured to said frame intermediate said moldings, a series of drawers,each drawer comprising front, side and rear vertical panels secured inassembled relation with front and side vertical panels outwardlydisposed adjacent the front and sides of the front corner members andintermediate said top and bottom moldings, and rear vertical panelsinwardly disposed adjacent the rear corner members, drawer runnerscarried by said guides, attached to said drawer front and rear verticalpanels and spaced inwardly relative to said side vertical panels,whereby there are slots intermediate said runners and side verticalpanels, said slots receiving the front corner members, horizontal panelssecured to said frontand rear vertical panels and drawer runners, andvertical slot shields secured to said front and rear vertical panels andsaid drawer runners.

12. A drawer having front and side vertical faces adapted to bepositioned on the outside of a skeleton frame support having cornerposts, said drawer having a vertical drawer back adapted to bepositioned in front of the rear corner posts, and a bottom having slotsadapted to receive the front corner posts of the frame.

13. A drawer having front and side vertical faces adapted to bepositioned on the outside of a corner post type of skeleton frame uponwhich the drawer is adapted to slide, said drawer having a bottom andback, the elements of said drawer being assembled to leave slots at thesides inside of said vertical side faces which are adapted to receivethe front corner posts of the frame.

FRANK A. HAYDEN.

